SOC13: Morpheus Cycles’ Prototype 27.5 Carbon DH Bike, 27.5 Loki

posted by Zach Overholt - April 23, 2013 - 9am EDT

As a smaller bike company from New York, Morpheus is probably best known for their aluminum DJ and slopestyle frames. Walking by Morpheus Cycle’s Sea Otter booth we were able to catch a glimpse of not only their first DH offering, but their first carbon fiber bike as well. Being built up in the stand as we spoke by Morpheus rider Mitch Chubey, the DH prototype is a wild looking bike with some interesting and uniquely Morpheus features.

In addition to the carbon DH sled, Morpheus was also displaying their Loki Trail bike, now available in 650b. Check it out after the break.

Morpheus‘ founder and owner Mike Schwartz was quick to address the biggest criticism of the bike so far – that single pivot moto-link style bikes are no longer relevant. According to Mike, modern shock tunes and adjustability along with proper pivot location of course, can result in a great riding modern DH bike if done right. Additionally, with the DH bike able to be built with bigger 27.5 wheels the additional roll over ability of the larger wheels helps with typical square edged hits and wheel hang up with a single pivot bike. The bike pictured here is Mike’s 3rd prototype that was raced by Mitch in the Sea Otter downhill.

Constructed from T-800 carbon with Kevlar layers, the DH bike will have 180-200mm of adjustable travel, and adjustable geometry via the rotating shock mounts. Unbolt the shock, and turn the turnbuckle mounts and you will have 3 degrees of head tube adjustment, and 1 inch of BB height adjustment that is tool free minus the Allen wrench to remove the shock. Mitch was running a Fox coil rear shock, though Mike expects most rider who aren’t flipping their DH bike at Rampage to built the bike with the Cane Creek DB Air, thanks to the incredible adjustability.

The DH bike wouldn’t be complete without Morpheus’ Telescopic Rear Dropout design that allows for 1.5 inches of wheel base adjustment and the use of 27.5 wheels. Thanks to the possibility of a 16.5 inch chain stay length, the bike should work as a big mountain freeride bike, or DH race machine. The production version will feature an anti brake jack device along with internal shift and brake routing.

Above the shock tunnel there are mounting holes for a fender that Mike is playing around with pre-production. You can get a sense of how massive this carbon fiber frame is from the thickness of the seat tube, yet the Mike claims the frame currently weighs in at 8.5 lbs without the shock. On the lighter side of aluminum, but heavier side for carbon Morpheus wanted to ensure the frame was strong enough to tackle competitions like Red Bull Rampage and then will start trimming weight for the final production version.

We didn’t want to interfere with Mitch working on his bike to weigh it, but claimed weight is 36 lbs even with Mike’s prototype at home sitting at 34 lbs with some high end parts. Note Mitch’s custom “drillium” seat post clamp – all about the grams.

The prototype frame has ISCG-05 compatibility with a threaded bottom bracket that sits just in front of some huge chainstays. Above you can see two small bolts at the bottom of the rear shock mount which are for a mini fender for the shock which may or may not see production.

The Loki trail bike has been out for a bit, and is now getting the bump to 27.5 inch wheels in addition to the current model still available. Rear travel is adjustable through the different lower mounting positions for the rear shock, at 116mm/ 121mm/ 126mm.

Built with the same hydroformed 7005 aluminum construction as the previous model, the 27.5 Loki also has the carbon fiber rocker arm with foam core construction.

Comments

Bayard - 04/23/13 - 10:14am

Call it the Chubey. I got me a Chubey.

RoDe - 04/23/13 - 10:18am

Awesome bike, I know everybody hates it but I love it.

Luiggi - 04/23/13 - 12:10pm

A modern shock won’t fix the biggest issue of that carbon abomination. You failed to mention it in the article, but it’s a bb-concentric system. A modern shock could fix the pedal bob, but it won’t fix the horrible axle path a concentric pivot dictates. The wheel will move up and forward, instead of up and backwards, as in a well designed single-pivot bike (take any Morewood or Orange as example). That’s why single-pivot DH bikes have their pivot axle so up and forward with respect to the bottom bracket.

Luiggi - 04/23/13 - 12:12pm

One more thing I forgot: They better spec a “brake jack device”, because this will fold like a jacknife if you hit the rear brake too hard…

wheelz - 04/23/13 - 2:51pm

that dh bike is ugly!

EpicThroatBeard - 04/23/13 - 3:02pm

so if it looks like an RM8, and it rides like an RM8 then is it an RM8?

I'm So Hard(tail) - 04/23/13 - 6:25pm

Just for future reference, the downhill proto isn’t their first carbon bike, when they first started out, they had a carbon hardtail and XC full suspension.

Dan Planwell - 04/24/13 - 4:28pm

Doesn’t matter if this will fold under braking, it’s only meant to be bought, built up, posed leaning against a couch in a living room, and then put on a $1,000+ USD bike rack on a $65,000+ “crossover” eurovehicle to drive to Whole Foods Market for rooster strut display.

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